At The End
by beautiful.dirty.rich
Summary: Does not follow Instant Star. Characters are all in high school. Tommy is dating Sadie but what happens when he decides he likes her younger sister better?
1. Prologue

**Hey guys! So this is a new story I started 'cause I just couldn't get it out of my head. The next few chapters of "About A Girl" are basically done so those will be out soon! I promise that just because I started a new story doesn't mean I'll neglect my old one! Hope you enjoy this and please review!**

**Background Info: Jude, Jamie and Kat are all fourteen and freshmen. Spied, Wally and Kyle are all sixteen and sophomores. Shay is seventeen and a junior. Patsy, Sadie, Kwest and Tommy are all eighteen and seniors. Tommy and Sadie are dating. Jamie and Spied both have crushes on Jude. Jude, Kat, Shay, Jamie, Spied, Kyle, Wally and Patsy are all kind of one big group of friends who are trying to break into the music industry. (Instant Star doesn't exist). Stuart Harrison is not having an affair. He and Victoria have a steady marriage and aren't a source of drama in this story. It's all mainly revolving around Jude and Tommy (of course). Shay's uncle is Darius but at the beginning of this story Darius isn't involved in the music industry. Jude and Sadie have a much closer relationship than in the show. Tommy is an average high school student and not really a "bad boy". **

"Sadie's got a boyfriend!" Jude taunted as she held the phone behind her back, away from her sister's reach.

Sadie desperately tried to pry the phone out of Jude's fingers. "Jude, c'mon, give it to me!"

The redheaded girl giggled and skipped away. "Not a chance. Not until you admit he's your boyfriend."

Sadie tucked her bangs behind her ears tiredly and chased after Jude. Unfortunately, the older girl was no match for her fleet footed younger sister. She was soon out of breath and

collapsed on the couch in the living room. "Fine, Jude! You win, he's my boyfriend. Now just give me the friggin' phone."

Jude smirked in victory and held the phone up to her ear. "Tommy? You still there? Yeah, you can talk to her now." She giggled and handed it to Sadie.

"Here, talk to lover boy." Sadie rolled her eyes at her and turned her attention to the man on the other end of the phone.

"Hi Tommy," she flirted. Jude mocked her, giggling loudly and twisting her hair around her finger.

"Of course, I'd love to. Um, how about seven?" Jude made a gagging gesture.

"Okay, I'll see you then. Bye, Tommy!" Sadie ignored Jude.

As soon as she hung up Jude burst into uncontrollable laughter. "God, Sadie you sound so stupid!"

Sadie threw a pillow at her head. "Oh yeah? What about you when you're talking to Spied? 'Oh you are soooo right, Spied, the C chord does sound wayyyy better'"

"I don't sound like that!" Jude insisted. "And a pillow, Sadie? Really? C'mon, you can do better than that." Sadie and Jude's fights were legendary, and usually involved throwing things

a lot more painful than pillows.

Sadie shrugged and hugged another pillow to her chest. "I could, but I'm too happy." She sighed dreamily, imagining her date with Tommy that afternoon. "Just four more hours. I can

hardly wait!"

Jude made a face. "Ew. When you get back tonight, spare me the details, kay?"

It was a pointless request however, because both sisters knew that they would be gossiping about the date 'till sundown.

"Whatever. Hey, wanna help me get ready?" Sadie sat up straight, looking like an eager puppy dog. Jude raised her eyebrows incredulously and plopped down onto the couch beside

her sister.

"Seriously? You want me, your fashion challenged, 14-year-old sister to help you, Sadie Harrison, prom queen?"

Sadie rolled her eyes. "I'm not prom queen yet, Jude. The votes don't go in until next semester. And what if I want to spend some time with my little sister? You're all grown up in high

school now. Who knows how often I'll get to see you nowadays?"

Jude elbowed Sadie in the side. "Nice try, sis. You just want me to help you 'cause you're hoping I let you borrow my boots."

"Okay, okay, you caught me." The blond girl held up her hands in surrender. "But, remember, I'm the one who told mom and dad to get you them for Christmas. You owe me."

Jude pretended to think about it, loving that she finally had some control over her prettier, smarter and more popular older sister. "Well....okay, I guess. Just don't get them muddy."

Sadie squealed happily, embracing Jude and almost knocking the wind out of her. "You deserve big chocolate chip cookies for breakfast tomorrow!"

"Don't think I won't take you up on that offer!" Jude laughed at Sadie's obvious excitement. Yeesh, the girl could get worked up over shoes.

--|--|--|--|--|--|--

Jude sighed in exasperation and flung her spiral notebook across the room. It hit the wall violently, the loud bang satisfying Jude. She had been sitting in her bedroom trying to write a

song for two hours. It was proving to be quite a fruitless effort, for although she had an acute ear for pitch, when it came to songwriting she was absolutely hopeless. Jude sighed

again and glanced at the hot pink alarm clock on her nightstand. '9:00' it read. Sadie wouldn't be home for another hour. She was just wondering how to kill the remaining time when

suddenly there was a noise coming from outside her window. Jude smiled widely. Jamie always knew when she needed company. She immediately left the comforts of her bed and

opened the window. Outside, Jude's best friend Jamie Andrews was balancing dangerously on the edge of her roof, both hands on her windowsill.

"Hey, dork," she greeted him teasingly. "What brings you here?"

The brown haired boy rolled his eyes. He wore big brown glasses and his hair was highlighted in blue streaks. "Could you just help me up already?"

Jude tapped her chin in mock indecision. "Hmm, I don't know if I should. What would daddy say if he found a boy in my room?" Jamie rolled his eyes again. The two had been

inseparable since they were five years old, and he knew Jude's parents wouldn't give a second thought to her being alone in a room with him. "C'mon Jude, I'm losing my grip here. You

wouldn't want to be responsible for sending me to the hospital now would you?"

Jude giggled and extended a hand. "I guess not." She helped pull Jamie through her window and into her room. He landed heavily on his backside.

"Gee thanks, Jude. You're a real pal." Jude ignored him and retrieved her abandoned notebook, suddenly not in a teasing mood anymore. Jamie noticed her weary expression and was

immediately concerned.

"Hey, what's the matter?" She shot him a small smile to prove it wasn't anything serious. "It's just…this song I'm trying to write. The words aren't flowing well,"

She handed Jamie the notebook, knowing if anyone could save her disaster of a song, it would be him. As he quickly skimmed over her lyrics, Jude noticed the approval in his eyes.

"It's really not a bad song," he began, grabbing a pen off of her desk and pulling Jude down to the floor with him. She watched over his shoulder as he made some quick adjustments,

already feeling better about the song.

"See, it's all in the editing. I didn't change much, just added in some more transition words."

Jude nodded in agreement. He never failed to amaze her. "Looks good," she mouthed some of the chorus to herself, liking the ring of the new words.

"Like I always say, writing a song is like…"

"Writing an essay," Jude rolled her eyes as she interrupted him. Jamie smiled at his best friend affectionately.

"Except with more heart," he added. "And you definitely got heart, Jude."

She bumped his shoulder teasingly. "What would I do without you, Jame?"

"Oh, I dunno, fail the ninth grade, go crazy, never be able to write a song again…"

Jude grinned. "You're the best, Jamie."

--|--|--|--|--|--

"Spied, would you please give me my book back?," Jude whined and stomped her feet, on the verge of a full on temper tantrum.

"No way, freshman," said a tall boy with messy auburn hair and big brown eyes. He was holding Jude's Geometry textbook in one hand and a black guitar case in the other. Trailing

behind him laughing were two other boys, one holding drumsticks and the other a bass guitar case. Jude tried to catch up with the older boys but was starting to get lost in the crowd.

It looked like she would have to go to Geometry without her book, and face the wrath of evil Mrs. Benson. Just as she was ready to admit defeat and turn around, an idea occurred to

her.

"You give me that book right now or I won't go to the Welcome Back Dance with you." She said with her hands on her hips, grinning in triumph as Spied stopped dead in his tracks and

turned back towards her. Still not handing over the book, he raised one curious eyebrow.

"Oh? And what makes you think I'd want to go to the dance with a freshman?" Confident now and gaining attitude, Jude rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm not stupid Spied…or blind. I know you like me. And besides, you're only a year older than me. That's not exactly pedophilia." He whistled approvingly.

"Touché, Harrison." Spied handed her the textbook. She hugged the book close to her, silently reveling in her victory.

"So?" He questioned. Jude smiled coyly, knowing exactly what he was getting at but wanting to make him squirm.

"So what?" She cocked her head to the side innocently. Spied groaned in frustration. He usually loved her wit and cleverness but today it was getting damn annoying.

"Will you…go to the dance…with me? There, I said it!" Jude giggled and hit him lightly with the book.

"Of course I'll go with you Spied, nobody else asked my and you're my last resort.." He gasped and clutched his chest dramatically. "That hurt, Harrison." She opened her mouth to

respond when the bell rang obnoxiously.

"Ooh, sorry, gotta go. Benson will kick my ass if I'm late." Jude smiled apologetically and gave a quick wave before walking away. "Hey," Spied called from behind her. "Don't forget.

Band practice at Wally's house today."

"I'll be there," She assured him.

--|--|--|--|--|--|--

Jamie thrashed his head about wildly, earning a few laughs from Jude. They were in Wally's garage trying to write the music to Jude's song. Kyle had been demonstrating an

outrageous drum solo and Jamie was openly making fun of him. Noticing Jamie's obscene head gestures, Kyle stopped drumming and threw a stick at his head.

"Dude, it's not funny. I worked really hard on that," He sounded so serious Jude almost felt sorry for him.

"Oh, c'mon Kyle, it doesn't fit in. This isn't a heavy metal song, it's a soft rock ballad," She urged.

Kyle sighed loudly. "Well fine then. Let's see you come up with something better."

Jude was saved from answering when Wally, the bassist, spoke up. "No need for drama, dude. Jude's right anyway. The solo isn't right for this song." Kyle rolled his eyes.

"Oh, sure, stick up for the chick," He muttered. Spied sighed, tired of all the arguing they had done that afternoon.

"Maybe we should just take a break. It's obvious we aren't going to get anywhere today."

Jamie shook his head. "No, we have a deadline. I booked you guys at the Vinyl palace for Saturday night. That's only four days from today. We need to finish this."

Jude shrugged flopped down next to Spied on the couch. "So? We'll just play our old stuff."

Spied, Wally and Kyle all nodded in agreement but Jamie was still doubtful. "Are you guys sure? Our old stuff isn't as good as this song."

"Yeah man, but at least our old stuff is finished. We're never gonna get this song done in time," Spied argued, pulling Jude's head into his lap and stroking her hair. Jamie noticed the

seemingly innocent act and anger flashed in his eyes.

"Our old stuff was crap! Especially your guitar playing, Spied. This is a chance to redeem ourselves," He knew it was unfair to mix band issues with personal issues, but this was the

only way to lash out at Spied without formulating suspicion. He had kept his feelings towards Jude a secret for years and he wasn't about to tell her now.

Speid glared at him. "Excuse me? How the hell would you know crappy guitar playing, freshman? It's not like you play an instrument. All you do is sit on your ass and book gigs. The

only reason we keep you around is because Jude insists."

At this Jude finally sat up and spoke up. "Hey! What's wrong with you two today? You're both talking shit right now."

At that point Kyle had retreated back into the house and Wally was busying himself practicing chords.

Jamie looked at Jude in disbelief. "I'm talking shit? I'm your best friend, Jude! You're supposed to be sticking up for me!" He grabbed her hand and tried to pull her off the couch. "C'mon

Jude, let's go home." Jude would have obliged had Spied not grabbed her other hand.

"Maybe she doesn't want to go with you!" Then he let go of Jude's hand and stood up, his face only inches away from Jamie's. Jamie however, was not at all intimidated. He scoffed

and clenched his fist.

"Oh, and you think she wants to stay here with you? Dream on."

Jude dropped her mouth open in shock. What the hell was going on here? She then stood up and broke the two boys apart. The last thing she wanted was a fist fight.

"Okay, that's enough." She picked up her backpack and songbook and opened the garage door. "I'm leaving before this gets ugly." Jude exited the garage and Jamie soon joined her,

but not before shooting Spied a 'told ya so' look. Spied was not to be defeated, however. Just as Jude and Jamie were crossing the street, he yelled, "See you at the dance on Friday,

Jude!" Jude winced, and much to Spied's pleasure, Jamie looked appalled. "You're going to the dance with him?????"

--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|

Sadie laughed hysterically when Jude finished retelling that afternoon's events.

"Jude, that's like, the third time they've fought over you in like, a month!"

"Yeah, it's the dreaded best friend versus boyfriend ordeal," Jude sighed loudly and put her head in her hands. Sadie rubbed her shoulder comfortingly.

"C'mon, you should be used to this by now," She pointed out.

Jude muttered, "Doesn't mean I have to like it."

Sadie rolled her eyes but instantly brightened as a thought occurred to her. "Well," she began "I have something that'll cheer you up!"

Jude looked up in half curiosity and half suspicion. "What's up?"

The blond haired girl clapped her hands in excitement. "I invited Tommy for dinner on Friday so you guys can meet him!"

Jude raised her eyebrows, "Hmm, should be interesting…"

**Review Review Review!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Okay, as promised, it is Spring Break and here is the first chapter! The next wil probably be up tomorrow or even tonight, possibly. Enjoy!**

"Don't you own anything nicer than that, Jude?" Sadie crossed her arms and frowned at her sister descending the stairs. She was wearing a royal blue floor length dress and had her hair up in a simple twist.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing now?" Jude looked down, now self-conscious of her skinny jeans and hoodie.

Sadie rolled her eyes. "We're going to a restaurant, not a fast food place. And besides, don't you want to make a good impression?"

Jude shrugged, not really seeing the big deal.

"How 'bout I come help you pick something else? I'm sure you have a couple of dresses," Sadie offered. Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed Jude's arm and pulled her back upstairs to her room. Jude sat down on her bed and let Sadie run things. She had discovered that was really the best way to deal with her. In no time at all, Sadie had raided Jude's entire closet but hadn't found anything appropriate. A little sweaty and more than a little frustrated, she turned back to face Jude with her hands on her hips.

"Tell me, how come you only have dresses that say 'I'm a slut who thinks every day is Halloween'?"

Jude gaped at her sister. "My dresses aren't slutty. And they're not Halloween costumes!"

Sadie raised her eyebrows and picked up a red minidress with white skulls on it. "Then how do you explain this disaster?"

"Hey, Kat made that for me!" Jude said, grabbing the dress from Sadie and clutching it defensively to her chest. Sadie sighed loudly and searched the mass of clothes on the floor one last time for something decent. Finally, Sadie came upon a simple, strapless black dress with a white belt around the waist. The skirt of the dress was wide while the top was tight. She examined the dress up and down and after deeming it acceptable, threw it to Jude.

"I guess this'll have to do, though it's way too short," she said.

Jude also examined the dress. It was too plain to be one of her favorites, but since this night was important to her sister, she stood up and got changed without a word. Sadie nodded approvingly and turned her attention to Jude's hair.

"Ugh, too bad there's no time to straighten this mess," she fingered through her sister's messy red curls quickly before giving up. Then Jude was subjected to sitting quietly in a chair while Sadie did her makeup. Being the master that she was, it took Sadie only five minutes to finish.

"Wow," Jude cocked her head to the side, admiring herself from different angles. "Where'd you learn to do that?"

Sadie smiled brilliantly. "Oh, friends and such. I could teach you if you want."

"Yeah, that'd be great Sades, but maybe a little darker. I think I look too girly. Ooh and maybe some more eyeliner…" Jude was interrupted by Sadie's loud sigh of exasperation.

"Whatever, Jude. We gotta go, Tommy will be here any minute."

The two girls reached the bottom of the staircase just as the doorbell rang. Stuart and Victoria Harrison emerged from the living room at the sound and Sadie squealed excitedly as she reached for the doorknob. Jude stood away uncomfortably, not quite sure how one should act when meeting one's sister's boyfriend. Her thoughts were soon interrupted however, as the door swung open and Jude first laid eyes on quite possibly the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. He had dark brown hair, full lips and she could barely tear her green eyes away from his icy blue ones. He was starring at her too.

"Hi, Tommy!" Sadie flashed him her killer smile. Tommy tore his eyes from Jude so quickly she wasn't sure he had even been looking at her in the first place.

"Hey, Sade," he said. Tommy hugged her sweetly and Jude couldn't help but wish to be in her sister's position, despite the fact that she didn't even know the guy.

She took Tommy's arm and led him to her parents.

"Mom, dad, this is Thomas Quincy," She was smiling like crazy and Jude could tell Tommy really made her happy. This made Jude feel a thousand times worse. How could she be attracted to someone her sister was obviously in love with? He extended his hand to Victoria and Stuart in turn.

"Please, call me Tom. Or Tommy if you like," he was saying.

Sadie giggled and then went on with the introductions.

"And this," she gestured to Jude. "Is my little sister and best friend, Jude."

Jude shook his hand politely but didn't dare to meet his eyes again. She couldn't help but notice the tingle that went up her spine when their hands touched. God, he was hot. That face, that body. Even his voice made her want to melt. Sadie sure had good taste. Nobody spoke for an awkward minute, but the silence was soon broken when…

"Okay, now, who's ready to get some dinner?" Stuart said.

--------

Jude was slurping her spaghetti hungrily when suddenly she felt someone kick her ankle. She lifted her head and met Sadie's warning eyes across the table. 'Use a spoon' she mouthed. Jude rolled her eyes but obeyed, attempting to roll the pasta on her spoon. The dinner had thus far been boring; save the part where she got to stare at Tommy while trying to be inconspicuous. Victoria and Stuart had been leading the conversation, which was currently centered on college choices. It was all boring mumbo jumbo for Jude, but she did pick up that Tommy was planning to go to some prestigious state university. Figures, Jude thought. Leave it to Sadie to find someone hot and smart. Somehow him being smart made him that much more desirable to Jude. God, she couldn't wait for that night to be over. It wasn't fun wanting someone you couldn't have. She checked her watch for the third time that hour. Only twenty minutes to go before the restaurant closed. Hallelujah. Suddenly Jude noticed the conversation had ended and Sadie was getting up from the table.

"I'm going to wash up a bit before we leave," she declared. "Anyone else coming?"

Stuart and Victoria simultaneously stood up. "That sounds like a good idea, darling," Victoria said. She took her daughter's arm and the two walked to the bathroom, Stuart trailing not far behind, leaving Tommy and Jude alone at the table. Immediately becoming uncomfortable, Jude fiddled with her fingers, searching for something to occupy herself with. In her panic, she grabbed the first drink she saw, which happened to be her mother's martini. Unfortunately, Jude didn't find that out until she took a sip and was met by the burning sensation of alcohol. Her nose wrinkled at the strong flavor and she stuck her tongue out. Having seen the whole thing, Tommy was chuckling to himself.

"Blech," Jude murmured. "It's not funny."

"Yeah, it kind of is," he said. Normally Jude would have come back with a witty comment, but at that moment all she could focus on was his intense gaze, and the fact that he had just spoken to her for the first time that night.

"Right…" was all she could choke out.

"Was it really that bad tasting?" Tommy asked.

"Not really bad tasting, just strong," Jude was quickly gaining confidence and wit back. After fully snapping out of her daze, she even went as far as to smile flirtatiously and pick up the martini glass again.

"Think I should have some more?"

Tommy raised his eyebrows. She hadn't said a word all throughout dinner and now she was acting the complete opposite of shy. He wasn't quite sure what to say.

"Um, I don't think your mom would appreciate it if I let her fourteen-year-old daughter get drunk."

Jude whirled the drink around a bit before taking another sip. It wasn't as bad the second time.

"Don't worry, she won't care. I do stupid stuff all the time; Sadie's the good one."

"And what kind of stupid stuff are we talking about here?" Tommy leaned forward so that his face was only inches away from hers. Again Jude found herself in a daze. This was really getting annoying.

"Um…stuff that I can't tell strangers."

"Ah, but who better to talk to then a complete stranger? A stranger won't judge you."

Jude was confused as to why he was going to such great lengths to get to know her, but she obliged.

"Good point," she said, and tried to remember a funny story to impress him. "Well, let's see, there was the time my band and I ran naked through all the sprinklers in our neighborhood. Not one of my finest moments."

Tommy laughed, but then something she had said caught his attention.

"Wait, you're in a band?"

Jude nodded. "Yeah, but not a very good one."

"I'm sure that's not true," Tommy grinned at her and she felt her heart flip flop wildly. "So, what do you play?" He asked.

"I, uh, sing and, uh, play the guitar a little bit," she struggled to keep her words straight.

Tommy was impressed. "That's really cool. I love music, although I can't play a note."

"Oh?" She raised her eyebrows in surprise. Usually Sadie's boyfriends were all work and no play. None of them had ever expressed an interest in music or any art at all before. She decided to test him.

"Who do you like better, The Police or The Beatles? Make the wrong decision and you'll permanently be on my bad list." She grinned slyly. Tommy chuckled.

"Wouldn't want to get on your bad side," he mocked, as if he knew very well he would never be on her bad side. Oh, how right he was.

"I'd have to say…The Police," he finally answered. Jude was taken aback again. The guy was hot, smart, and had great taste in music. Oh, lord.

"Nice choice," she nodded approvingly.

"I thought so," Tommy said. "You seemed like a Police kind of person."

"And what makes someone a Police person or a Beatles person?"

"A Beatles person is more likely to follow the crowd. I don't take you for that kind of person."

Jude snorted. "You don't even know me."

"Well," Tommy leaned forward even more, until Jude could feel his breath on her face. "Maybe not yet."

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Jude noticed her parents and her sister walking out of the bathroom. At the same time she noticed that the martini glass was over half empty. No wonder her head was feeling so dizzy. Or maybe that was because of the man sitting across from her, who had now pulled his face away and was acting totally calm.

"Hey, honey," he stood and kissed Sadie on the cheek. "Ready to go?"

Sadie giggled for what must have been the twentieth time that night. "Yep, let's go."

Jude stood and tried not to wobble. The last thing she needed right now was to get yelled at for being drunk.

-------

Like something out of her worst nightmare, she and Tommy had somehow ended up next to each other in the backseat on the ride home. Sadie had insisted on driving, and since she only had her permit, Stuart was obliged to sit next to her in the front seat. Victoria took the small middle row, leaving Tommy and Jude in the larger back row. Add the fact that it was pitch dark in the car and she was more than a little tipsy, Jude was having a hard time not turning her head and kissing him senseless. Finally, halfway through the car ride, she got sleepy and all thoughts of kissing were put to the back of her mind. She leaned her head against the window, but finding no comfort there, leaned the other direction and collided with Tommy's shoulder. Too tired, too comfortable and too drunk to care, she snuggled against him. Tommy must not have minded either because he didn't make a move to push her off. She was just about ready to doze off when a thought occurred to her.

In a drunken haze, she asked, "Tommy, do you think I'm pretty?"

Tommy swallowed hard and wondered how drunk she was. Deciding she would probably forget everything in the morning, he answered truthfully.

"Yes. I think you're gorgeous." He said, praying that the conversation would end there before he said something he would regret. But no, Jude wasn't finished yet.

"Prettier than Sadie?"

Tommy winced, but again chose to be honest.

"Yeah. Prettier than Sadie."

Just as Tommy was feeling the guilt and regret, Jude muttered out her last word before she fell asleep.

"Liar."

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